Demolition ongoing: Sheikh Mujib’s Dhanmondi 32 residence almost reduced to rubble

The demolition of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s three-story house at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka continued on Thursday morning, with the building largely reduced to rubble.

At 8 a.m., a bulldozer was persistently tearing down the structure, replacing the yellow one used the previous night with a blue machine. No law enforcement or administrative officials were present on the site.

The front section, including the boundary walls, had been heavily destroyed. The fire that had been set to the building overnight had burned out. Trees in the yard, large and small, were uprooted.

A crowd of onlookers had gathered, but unlike the previous night, there were fewer protesters actively damaging the site – the overwhelming noise of heavy machinery dominated the area. Those present said the demolition would continue until the entire building was brought down.

Looting also took place at the demolished site in the morning, with people removing doors, windows, bricks, iron rods, and pipes from the wreckage.

A journalist reported seeing a man cutting iron rods from the debris with a hacksaw, while others used hammers to break concrete and collect the rods. Several individuals also dismantled the engine from a burnt-out vehicle on the property.

The looted materials were then taken away.

Bulldozer operator Sujon Mia explained that the demolition was taking longer than expected due to the structure's sturdiness. “Three of the machine’s teeth have already broken,” he said. When asked who had brought him to the site, he replied, "My manager woke me up at 1:30 a.m. and told me to come here. I wasn’t informed about the task in advance. After I arrived, I was told to start demolishing the house." 

On Wednesday evening, angry students began gathering in front of Dhanmondi 32, entering the premises around 8 p.m. As the night went on, the crowd grew larger, and extensive vandalism took place before the house was set on fire. The mural of Mujib at the entrance was also completely destroyed. A bulldozer was brought in later that night.

Earlier, an announcement had been made that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August amid protests, would join a virtual session with members of the banned organization Chhatra League.

In response, the July Revolutionary Alliance announced a march toward Dhanmondi 32.

Notably, on August 5 last year, during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement's March to Dhaka program, Awami League leader Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country. Following this, enraged citizens set fire to Mujib’s home at Dhanmondi 32.